Biomimetic Self-Assembly of a Functional Asymmetrical Electronic Device

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 99; no. 8; pp. 4937 - 4940
• Main Authors: Boncheva, Mila, Gracias, David H., Jacobs, Heiko O., Whitesides, George M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 16-04-2002; National Acad Sciences
• Series: Supramolecular Chemistry And Self-assembly Special Feature
• Subjects: Amino Acid Motifs; Biochemistry; Biomimetics; Chemical bonds; Copper; Electric potential; Electronics; Inverters; Light emitting diodes; Microelectronics; Models, Chemical; Peptides - chemistry; Physical Sciences; Prisms; Protein Folding; Protein Structure, Secondary; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Proteins; Self assembly; Shift registers; Solders
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.032667599

This paper introduces a biomimetic strategy for the fabrication of asymmetrical, three-dimensional electronic devices modeled on the folding of a chain of polypeptide structural motifs into a globular protein. Millimeter-size polyhedra-patterned with logic devices, wires, and solder dots-were connected in a linear string by using flexible wire. On self-assembly, the string folded spontaneously into two domains: one functioned as a ring oscillator, and the other one as a shift register. This example demonstrates that biomimetic principles of design and self-organization can be applied to generate multifunctional electronic systems of complex, three-dimensional architecture.